Retro Snapshot: "The Night of the Hunter" (1955)

Directed by Charles Laughton, "The Night of the Hunter" is about a demented serial killer and self proclaimed preacher (Robert Mitchum), who seduces a widow and torments her children in order to find out where her executed spouse hid a large sum of stolen money. In the above snapshot, Reverend Harry Powell stares eerily at the camera, with the words "LOVE" and "HATE" tattooed on his knuckles. Based on the 1953 novel of the same name, "The Night of the Hunter" was added to the National Film Registry in 1992. Typically, most movies do not live up to the hype and praise surrounding it, but this film is one of those rare gems that is just as shocking, disturbing and haunting as everyone claims.

Carly

Contributor

I like horror movies. That is all.